Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1887-1890, 1887-09-03
sun RIVER AND COUNTY
DIVISION.

The citizens of Sun River Crossing
held a meeting on the 25th to protest
against "any division of Choteau,
Lewis and Clarke and Meagher coun-
ties by the formation of the new
county of Cascade. thus not only
protesting for themselves but for the
whole of northern Montana, which
is certainly very generous on their
part. There is SO rich a vein OF
humor running through the docu-
ment unanimously adopted at the
meeting that We print it in its entire
ty. It is as follows:
We the undersigned citizens and tax
payers of Lewis and Clarke county do
most earnestly protest against any diyi-
sion of Choteau, Lewis and Clarke and
Meagher counties by the formation of the
new county of Cascade. We do this, be-
lieving that the formation of a new coun-
ty at the present time would incur a heavy
tax levy upon our main industry. i. e.,
cattle and sheep, as we'll as all others, the
losses of last winter in the cattle herds Of
northern Montana being placed at so per
cent and that in sheep at Is per cent.
This in itself should convince the most
skeptical that the present is no time for
new county schemes, and especially 4
that is being worked up for the sole bene-
fit of the town Of Great Falls regardless
of the wishes and conveniences of the
majority of the taxpayers who will come
within the lines of the proposed county of
Cascade. We say wait until our resources
and population justify adivision; and fur
ther, we believe it to be still better to wait
until Montana becomes a state at which
time the whole territory should be redis-
tricted for the convenience of all.
This is strange doctrine to emanate
from Sun River, which has been for
ten years past the source and center
of mor county division agitation
than any other point in Montana.
Dearborn county became a chestnut
years ago to Legislative members and
long before s'our resources and popu-
lation justified division" Sun River
was gihting for it vigorously and per-
sistently. Sun River then wanted
the county seat, ard although there
vas not half the population and
wealth in ~thisssection there is at pres
ent, 'the heavy tax levy" to be in
CURED did not brighten them in the
least. Truly, circumstances alter
cases.
Our friends at Sun River and Fort
Benton are sadly mistaken, or pretend
to be, in two propositions, viz:
l. That Cascade county is TO be
created for the sole benefit of Great
Falls.
2. That there is not sufficient
wealth and population in this section
to warrant division.
In regard to the first, we can say
that Great Falls is not more anxious
for the creation Of the new county
than other interested sections. Out
side of Sun River there is but one
sentiment on the subject and that for
division, as is fully evidenced by the
petitions received. The people of the
Missouri valley, Deep creek, Sand
Coulee, Box Elder, Belt creek, Cora
creek. Otter creek and on to the Fer
gus county line, are q unit IN favor of
the measure. because it would bring
them within a reasonable distance of
the county sea. instead of being as
now, seventy-fve to q hundred miles
distant from the same, with a noun
tain range intervening that for many
months of the year can not be crossed
at all. These people desire the new
county az earnestly as Great Falls
and their position is the strongest
possible appeal to the legislature to
pass the bill.
The time is past to talk of lack of
wealth and population in northern
The railroad has complete
II put an end to that. No one will
be foolish enough to say that Lewis
and Clarke can not without injury
ceds the small portion of territory
asked of her for the new county; nor
San it be denied that Meagher would
Pc gamer by surrendering that por-